


Save a horse, ride a cowboy.

by caitlesshea



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Cowboys, M/M, cowboy hat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 02:22:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18378989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caitlesshea/pseuds/caitlesshea
Summary: Alex, Michael, the black cowboy hat, and the shirt that saved their lives.





	Save a horse, ride a cowboy.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BeStillMySlashyHeart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeStillMySlashyHeart/gifts).



> I have literally no excuse for this. I blame everyone on Tumblr who decided that Michael should wear a shirt with "save a horse, ride a cowboy" on it.

Alex pulls off his prosthetic and winces. It was a long day spent exploring the abandoned prison that was written about all over Jim Valenti’s notes. And now, he, Kyle, and Michael are sharing a hotel room before their drive back to Roswell. 

 

He sighs. It’s not that he minds sharing a hotel room with them, but Kyle’s still an ass, and he hasn’t been able to think about anything other than Michael trying to leave the  _ planet,  _ since Michael showed him the ship console the other day. 

 

He leans back against the headboard when Kyle walks out of the bathroom. Kyle snorts.

 

“Nice shirt.” Alex looks down and groans.  _ So what _ if he sleeps in this shirt most nights. He packed in a hurry. 

 

Michael chooses to come back at that moment with burgers and drinks for everybody and raises an eyebrow at the shirt. 

 

“Save a horse, ride a cowboy. Really sending mixed messages dude.” Michael says as he passes Alex his burger. Alex glares at him while Kyle snickers. He turns to glare at Kyle who shuts his mouth instantly. 

 

He pats the bed next to him and beckons for Michael to come join him. Michael comes willingly and when he sits down Alex turns and kisses him. 

 

Michael smiles and looks at him. Alex just shrugs and goes back to eating his burger. 

 

“It was definitely the shirt.” Kyle says from the other bed.

 

“Shut up Valenti.” Both Alex and Michael say.

 

**~~~**

 

“Dude. We’re going to be late. Hurry up!” Alex shouts down the hallway to Kyle. 

 

“Yeah yeah Manes, chill.”

 

“Oh hey. Grab me my jacket will you? It’s on the bed.” Alex waits a couple of seconds before he hears laughter and walks down the hallway. He comes to a stop in the doorway to find Kyle holding a white T-shirt and cackling like a damn hyena.

 

“You still have this?” Kyle asks him while brushing tears away from his eyes. 

 

“Yes. Put it down.” Alex walks further into the room. 

 

“I should’ve known angry cowboy was your type back then.” Kyle smirks. “I got this for you for your fourteenth birthday.” 

 

Alex nods and smiles at the memory. “Yeah. My dad wouldn’t let me go to the concert so you got me the shirt for my birthday. I thought Sarge was going to keel over and die when he saw it.” 

 

“You kept it all these years?” 

 

Alex shrugs. Kyle gets this look in his eye like he’s about to say something Alex isn’t going to like. 

 

“Does he keep the cowboy hat on?”

 

“Kyle!” Alex says outraged, while trying to fight the blush spreading up his neck. Never one to be deterred from giving as good as he got though, he smirks.

 

“Why so curious about our sex life?”

 

Kyle sputters. “I’m not…”

 

“Mmm. I’m not the only one who likes a man in uniform.” Alex smirks like the cat that got the canary. 

 

“Dude.”

 

“Ask about our sex life again and I’ll kill you.”

 

“Noted.” Kyle puts the shirt down but turns to Alex. “You going to wear it to their thirtieth birthday party tonight?”

 

“Maybe I will.” Alex picks up the shirt. “Out.”

 

“Awe c’mon Manes. You wound me.” 

 

“Get. Out.” Alex shoves him out of the bedroom and goes to sit on the bed.  _ Their _ bed. His and Michael’s. 

 

He stares at the faded and worn shirt. The writing “Save a horse, ride a cowboy” from the Big & Rich song curling at the corners. The neck is stretched out, there are a couple of loose threads at the bottom and a few rust colored stains. But he loves this shirt. It was one of the shirts he let Michael borrow in the tool shed when they were younger when the nights were brutally cold and Michael needed extra layers. It’s the same shirt that Michael gave back to him before he shipped out for Basic. Michael claiming that it had gotten him through some of his worst nights, and he wanted it to do the same for Alex. 

 

He tugs it on and savors the feeling of its softness against his skin for a minute. He pulls his jacket on and zips it up as he heads out of the bedroom.

 

“The jacket zipped up. Really?” Kyle asks as they make their way outside.

 

“Wouldn’t do for one of his birthday surprises to be seen by other people first.” Alex says as they get to Kyle’s SUV.

 

“Want me to drive?” Kyle asks as he unlocks his car. 

 

“Yeah. If you don’t mind. Michael’s already there and I’ll just ride back with him.” 

 

Kyle snorts. “Knew it.” 

 

“Dude.” Alex says sharply but he smiles. 

 

They pull up to the Wild Pony and walk inside to see all of their friends already there. He scans the room for Michael and smirks when he sees his boyfriend dressed in his very best blue denim shirt and that damn black cowboy hat perched on his head. 

 

“He definitely keeps the hat on.” Kyle whispers to him as he saunters away to greet everybody.

 

“I’ll kill you.” Alex threatens and then grins when Michael comes up to him.

 

“Valenti asking about our sex life again?” Michael asks as he kisses him. Alex nods into the kiss.

 

“Happy Birthday cowboy.” Alex smiles and unzips his jacket. Michael’s eyes go wide and he sucks in a breath. 

 

Michael pulls Alex flush to him and kisses him, hard. Alex can’t do anything but melt into his arms.

 

Alex can feel the moan threatening to escape when Michael abandons his lips for his ear, as he leans in to whisper. 

 

“Oh Captain. My Captain.” Then he bites down on the tip of Alex’s ear and soothes the bite with his tongue.

 

Alex should be worried that they’re in the middle of a very public bar, but he finds that he doesn’t care. He moans when Michael starts sucking lightly right below his ear, in the spot that he knows turns Alex into jello.

 

“I can’t believe you kept this.” Michael whispers as he pulls back to rest his forehead on Alex’s as best he can with his cowboy hat on. 

 

“Of course I did.” Alex says a little breathless. Michael smiles at him then turns towards their friends who are all arguing good naturedly over a game of pool. 

 

“We’re leaving. We have a long ride home.” Michael shouts. Alex can vaguely hear their friends complaining but Kyle walks over and claps him on the back.

 

“Cupid. I’m Cupid.” Kyle grins at Michael and then walks away. Michael raises an eyebrow at him.

 

“He bought me this shirt when we were younger.” Alex rolls his eyes.

 

Michael laughs and drags him out of the bar. As soon as they get outside Michael pulls them to a stop and kisses Alex like it’s the only thing in the world he wants to do. 

 

Alex moans against Michael’s mouth, and he’s feeling mischievous, so he takes the cowboy hat off of Michael’s head and puts it on his own. He starts to walk away from Michael who is standing frozen in place.

 

Alex turns to look back over his shoulder, and in his best Michael interpretation, he tips the hat towards Michael and winks. 

 

“Wanna go for a ride cowboy?” 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Come find me on Tumblr - same username!


End file.
